Rubber heel



Jan. 21, 1941. E. I Ewls RUBBER HEEL Filed June 22, 1939v 2 f m5 M Patented Jan. 21, 1941 STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

I This invention relates to an improved construction of rubber heel provided with means secured in the heel and adapted to receive and be engaged by driven fastenings for securing the rubber heel to the base portion of a shoe heel to securely connect the parts and to retain the driven `fastenings in fixed position so that eX- cessive pressure on the rubber heel at points Where the driven fastenings are located or eX- 10 to be forced inwardly and into the shoe.

More particularly, it is an aim of this invention to provide a plurality of members adapted to be molded into a rubber heel for receivingv driven fastenings and for forming a base to engage the head of the fastening to retain it in fixed relationship relatively to the base portion of the shoe heel to which the rubber heel is attached.

Still another object of the invention is to provide members molded into a rubber heel andincluding means embedded in the heel for securing the members therein, said means being slidably connected to the vmembers for movement relatively thereto as the rubber contracts or expands so that the yieldability of the heel will not be reduced.l

A further aim of the invention is to position said members so that their base portions are countersunk slightly relatively to the inner side of the rubber heel for compressing the rubber heel against the base portion of the shoe heel when secured thereto to provide a secure and rm connection therebetween.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:- 40 Figure 1 is a bottom plan view showing a heel constructed in accordance with the invention and attached to a shoe,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken substantially on the plane of the line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a plan view of a blank from which the connecting member, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, is formed,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view similar to Figure 1 of a slightly modied form of the invention, A

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional View taken substantially on the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 4, and y Figure 6 is a plan view of a mod ed form of cessive Wear will not cause the driven fastenings fastening member illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. Referring more particularly lto the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, Ill designates generally a portion of a shoe having a sole, designated generally I I, forming a part thereof and including a heel portion I2. These parts are of conventional form and are shown merely to illustrate the application of the invention which will hereinafter be described.

The invention constitutes `an improvement in rubber heels as shown generally at I3. The rubber heel I3 is provided with a plurality of metallic members each vdesignated generally I 4 which, as bestseen in Figure 3, each comprise a blank formed of metal having a central base portion I5 provided with an opening I6.. Base portion I5 may be of any desired shape and is provided with a plurality of integrally formed spaced outwardly extending arms I'I having the enlarged oval shaped free ends I8. Arms Il are bent at their secured ends to positions substantially at right angles to the base portion I5 and the enlarged ends I3 are bent outwardly relatively to the arms I'I and substantially at right angles thereto, as best seen in Figure 2, to form flanges. The members, thus shaped, are molded into the heel I3 with the ends I8 adjacent the center thereof and the base portions I5 disposed on the inner side of the heel in exposed position and preferably slightly countersunk relatively to the inner face of the heel I3.

The members I4 may be disposed in any suitable relationship relatively to the heel I3 such as in the positions as seen in Figure l, in dotted lines. The heel I3 is provided with a plurality of bores I9 extending therethrough each of which alines with an opening It of a member I4 to receive a driven fastening 20. The driven fastenings are adapted to be driven through the base portion I2 of the heel in any suitable manner, as by means of a punch and the pointed ends thereof are then preferably bent over and clinched as at 2l. The headed ends 22 of the driven fastenings 20 abut against the inner side of the base portions I5 which are drawn inwardly by the driven fastenings 20 and into contact with the heel portion I2 to position the fastenings 20 in lfixed position relatively to the portion I2. Base portions I5, being slightly countersunk, cause the inner side of the rubber heel I3 to be compressed against the outer side of the heel portion I2 when the portions I5 are forced inwardly by the fastenings` 20 and into contact with the portion I2 so that the rubber heel I3 ls firmly secured to the heel portion I2 of the shoe I0.

From the foregoing it will be seen, that by means of the members I4 and the fastenings 25 a rm connection is made between heel portions i2 and I3 and the members I4 by being disposed in contact with the portion I2 when the heel I3 is attached thereto retains the driven fastenings 20 in fixed position relatively to the portion I2 so that excessive pressure on the heel I3 at any point will not force any of the fastenings 20 inwardly to cause their pointed ends to puncture an innersole, not shown, so that the pointed ends of the fastenings would be in a position to Contact the heel of a wearer.

In Figures 4, 5 and 6, a slightly modified form of the invention is shown comprising a heel I3 of rubber, in which a plurality of connecting members 23 are embedded in any suitable relationship relatively to each other such as in the positions, as seen in Figure l. Members 23 each comprise a sleeve portion 24, as best seen in Figure 6, having at one end an integrally formed annular flange 25 constituting a base portion, andan opposite end 26 which is flared outwardly. A washer 21 is slidably mounted on the sleeve portion 24 and retained in engagement therewith by the flange 25 and the flared end 26.

Members 23 are adapted to be molded into the heel I 3 with their flanges 25 positioned similarly to the base portions I5 of the members I4 so that said flanges 25 are in exposed position on the inner side of the heel I3' and slightly countersunk relatively to its inner face. The washers 21 are embedded in the rubber of the heel I3 and are 'disposed adjacent to the flared ends 26 so that the rubber between the Washers 21 and the flanges 25 will retain the members 23 in proper position relatively to the heel I3.

Heel I3 is provided with a plurality of bores 28, each of which is in alinement with the bore of a sleeve 24 to receive the headed driven fastenings29 which are driven therethrough and through the sleeves 24 and into the heel portion VI 2 with their pointed ends bent over and clinched as at 30. The fastenings 29 are provided with the enlarged heads 3I sized to engage the flared ends 26 of the members 23 to move the flanges 25 of the members 23 into engagement with the heel portion I2 to thereby position the fastenings 29 in Xed position relatively to the heel portion I2 and to compress the heel I3 into firm engagement with the heel portion I2 in the same manner as the members I4 to prevent the fastenings 29 from puncturing an innersole of the shoe and to form a firm connection between the shoe and rubber heel I3.

The flanges 25 which are embedded in the heel I3' x the position of the members 23 relatively thereto but do not affect the cushioning operation of the rubber as the washers 21 are free to slide inwardly of the sleeves 24 when pressure is placed on the heel I3 so that the rubber between the washers 21 and the flanges 25 may be compressed and yield with the remainder of the heel I3.

Various changes in the invention may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter dened by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. An attachment for rubber heels comprising a spool shaped member having an enlarged end, said end being mounted in the inner side of a rubber heel with the shank and opposite end thereof extending into the heel, and a washer slidably connected to the shank of said member and embedded in the heel in spaced apart relationship to the enlarged end of the member.

2. An attachment for rubber heels comprising a member embedded in an opening of a rubber heel and having one end disposed adjacent the inner face thereof for engaging the base portion of the heel, said member being provided with a longitudinal bore to receive a portion of the shank of a headed fastening, the shank end of which is secured in the base portion of the heel, the head of the fastening being disposed against the op posite end of said member, and a washer slidably mounted on said member and embedded in the rubber heel.

3. A device as in claim 2, the ends of said member being enlarged to retain the washer thereon.

4. An attachment for rubber heels comprising a tubular member, provided with enlarged ends, embedded in a rubber heel to receive the shank of a headed fastening for securing the rubber heel to a shoe, with the head of the fastening abutting against one endof the tubular member, and a washer slidably mounted on the tubular member and embedded in the rubber heel. CHARLES E. LEWIS. 

